Walter Ramsey Connison
The Connison family was from Ireland, living in the Sharswood section of Philadelphia, just north of Girard College. Walter had a younger brother and sister, and his father was an…
Read MoreRobert Elliott Killen
There were ten children in Bob’s middle-class family as he was growing up. Five of the six boys learned the stone cutting business from their father. Not all of them…
Read MoreJohn D. McCullen
John and his three siblings were born in Philadelphia to Irish parents, and he started out in life as an apprentice blacksmith. He enlisted in the 95th Pennsylvania Infantry on…
Read MoreJohn Francis Ryder
Details on John’s start in life and family background are not known but at age 18 he joined the Navy in the summer heat of 1859. He was on board…
Read MoreJames Pollock
James had the same name as both his father and grandfather and was living with them, his mother, and three siblings in County Donegal when Ireland’s 1901 census was taken.…
Read MoreJames McFarland
James was a grandson of Irish immigrants, the first-born son of William James McFarland, who was a Civil War veteran who was wounded and held as a prisoner of war.…
Read MoreJohn Gibson
As a 16-year-old, John was working in a brickyard and living with his parents, four younger brothers, and an older sister. He had some other jobs but found what he…
Read MoreJames Kelly
James was the only child of James and Eliza Kelly, who arrived in Philadelphia from Ireland in 1850 and were lifelong members of Southwestern Presbyterian Church. He was married in…
Read MoreGeorge W. Devitt
The Devitt family included at least eight children, with one not living past three years. They benefited from the aid of a live-in servant, thanks to the thriving business at…
Read MoreCharles E. Wilson
Charles grew up with two younger brothers in the Queen Village section of Philadelphia where his father was a cooper, making barrels for a sugar refiner on the banks of…
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